Durell Martin

Durell Martin died at 5:55 p.m. Saturday, July 1, 2006, at his residence in Temple Texas. He was 86.

Memorial services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, July 29, at Westgate Church of Christ.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to VistaCare, 2626-B S. 37th St., Temple, TX 76504.

Mr. Martin, the oldest of seven children of Isaiah and Jewell Martin, was born and raised in and around Dothan. He attended Dothan High School, but dropped out after his first semester to help support his family. The following year, he went back to school only to have to drop out again to support his family after his father's death. He was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean Conflict. He married Ruby Ledbetter on June 19, 1948. He learned his life-long trade at an early age while working with his dad, and except for the years he was in the Army, he worked as a plumber, pipefitter and electrician until retirement age. After retiring, he worked at odd jobs for Charles Peters and then was hired on as building superintendent at Peters and Associates in Dothan until he was 82. He left Dothan in 2002 to live with his daughter and son-in-law in Bella Vista, Ark. In November of 2005, he moved with his family to Temple. He was a charter member of the Westgate Church of Christ for 47 of its 51 years. After moving to Arkansas, he became a member of the Bentonville Church of Christ and then Ave. T. Church of Christ in Temple.

He is preceded in death by his wife; two sisters, Eloise Watson and Francis Crane; two brothers, Willie Jay and Thomas Coleman.

He is survived by his daughter, Sharon Chadwick and husband Kenneth of Temple; two sisters, Mozelle Falls of Auburndale, Fla., and Betty Clark of Troy; three grandsons, Earl, Harley and Silas; and three great-grandchildren.

Central Texas Mortuary in Temple, Texas, (254) 771-1024, is in charge of arrangements. Sign the guestbook at www.dothaneagle.com.